Letter 158

In just 1 week I will be taking my first of 4 flights over to India. It will not only be my first visit to India, but also to the continent of Asia, and I can’t wait. Expect sunrises, temples, patterns and people. Also expect a very tired, sweaty Lou returning to the UK in just over 3 weeks’ time.

 

The Itinerary

Udaipur

Our first stop is the White City. A place that looks as peaceful as it does vibrant. We will arrive after 3 flights from London (I have to take one down from Edinburgh prior to this) just in time for the Mewar Festival, which looks pretty wonderful. We’ll have 3 nights there to get over the journey, acclimatise to the 40 degree heat and embrace the festivities. Most of all, I am looking forward to lounging on the hotel rooftop looking over the stunning lake and palace.

Jodhpur

A lengthy bus, including a cultural stop off, will take us to the Blue City of Jodhpur, on my 22nd birthday. I have always been most excited for this little gem. The architecture, small streets and overarching fort have always fascinated me and I can’t wait to wander around them. We’ll have another 3 nights here so as not to rush it and we are staying in a beautiful little hotel.

Jaipur

We will head over to the Pink City via our first Indian train ride, which will be an experience in itself I’m sure. 3 nights in this crazy city will hopefully be enough to get a taster and to enjoy some of the wonderful history and culture on offer. We will also be spending my mum’s 60th birthday here and are hoping to go to the cinema and do something a bit different. Not that this trip is anything other than that.

Ranthambore National Park

Who knows what will be the highlight of this trip, but this could definitely be a contender. Ranthambore National Park is our best chance at seeing a tiger, and we will be embarking on 3 safaris during our 3 nights here, to put in our best efforts. The hotel we’ve picked looks lovely and the host has been so accommodating. We will also get a chance to visit the fort which looks incredible.

Agra

The last real stop on our trip will be Agra, for the Taj Mahal. We’ll have 2 nights here and as we are staying approximately 5 minutes from the gates of the Taj, and have a view over it on our rooftop, we hope to visit it a couple of times. A sunrise visit will be on our last full day in the country, and I think it will be the perfect way to end the trip.

New Delhi

Our last day in India, 2 weeks after our first, will consist of a train ride from Agra to Delhi, a short afternoon of exploring, a few hours sleep in our hotel room and heading to the airport for a 2am flight. Ah the joys of cheap airplane tickets. Unfortunately we won’t get to see much of Delhi, but we made that decision in favour of longer stays elsewhere on our trip, and I think it’s the right one. Hopefully I’ll get to visit Delhi in the future, but on this particular trip, we will just be flying out of the city.

 

So there you have it. The countdown begins to our 2 week trip in India. The excitement is certainly building and I cannot wait until touch down in Udaipur. I must savour every second of those 2 weeks as before I know it I will be back at work and looking forward to the next trip…

 

Stay tuned!

From Lou

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